Always With You
by suisei no mitsukai
Summary: A psychological thriller starring a woman who is tortured by her past that has come back to haunt her. Can she survive the ordeal intact? Ami centered, others featured
1. Marriage

_**Always With You**_

_**Chapter 1: They Were Married**_

I gazed into his crystal blue eyes. God they were beautiful. I gently brushed a strand of black hair from his face and he smiled that loving smile that melted me inside. I wrapped my arms around him as his hand produced a beautiful blue rose.

"Oh Mamoru, it's lovely."

I kissed his cheek and walked into the kitchen for a small glass. As the water ran silently into the glass my mind began to wander. We had just been married the night before and I couldn't have been happier. The situation was almost unbelievable though. Never in my life did I expect to be loved like this, to have someone I deeply care for actually return those same feelings. But…my thoughts faltered. Why does he love me so?

Why should someone so wonderful as him love someone as imperfect as me? Why would anyone fall for me and why especially him? My thoughts continued on their trek as the water slowly overflowed the glass, running down over my hand. Would he have married me if destiny had taken another turn? Was our relationship a fluke produced by two lonely people?

Is this the way that things are supposed to be? Is this the life that fate meant for me to have? Party of me wants to say 'Yes, you deserve everything wonderful that's come into your life.' The other part of me says 'No, you know how things were supposed to be. You know this wasn't the original plan.'That's why there are times that I can't believe the way that my life has turned out. There are times that I wonder, why did things turn out this way? Why were my trials successful? Why do I have a fulfilling job and a wonderful husband?

Why would these things happen to Mizuno Ami instead of….

"What's wrong Ami?"

I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and a familiar chin rest upon my shoulder, startling me into dropping the glass into the sink. It didn't shatter as I expected it to.

I closed my eyes and leaned into him, taking a deep breath and reveling in his scent. "Nothing's wrong, just…thinking."I didn't want to tell him about my doubts, my fears.

"What are you thinking about?" His breath touched hot upon my ear causing the hairs to rise on the back of my neck. It was so hard to lie to him. Part of me wanted to tell him the truth, that I was worried about how everything had turned out but I didn't want to worry him. I didn't want to jeopardize this happiness that we'd managed to find.

"Just about how happy I am." My lips curved into a smile. It was better to tell a small fib and keep him from worrying. I didn't want him to share in my worry and I didn't want to bring back that pain to him.

His lips brushed the back of my neck softly. "I'm glad. I want you to be happy Ami." He squeezed me tight and left chaste kisses along my neck.

"And I want you to be happy." I turned around and poked him playfully in the chest. "Not going to get sick of me are you?"

He laughed, his eyes twinkling in delight as he sent a playful tickle in return. "Not ever my little ice princess. Besides you're stuck with me now. I smiled and leaned up to kiss his nose.

"Good."

I smiled and stood there for a moment as he ambled back into the bedroom with a playful smile, truly wishing that he were right. But he must have said the same to Usagi. I frowned for a moment, remembering my best friend. Was it wrong of me to love the man that she had loved? Was I betraying her memory by marrying her former lover? I closed my eyes. Mamoru returned my feelings. And how could loving someone with all of your heart ever possibly be wrong?

I cared for Usagi deeply. And I also loved Mamoru but kept my distance because he was Usagi's love, not mine. But then…everything changed, feelings changed. It really is a two-sided blade. On one hand I wish Usagi were still here but on the other I'm happy that Mamoru and I were married. Is that wrong of me? I shook my head and set the glass on the kitchen table, carefully placing the delicate flower within.

But Usagi is gone. That's all in the past. I can't change anything. So maybe I shouldn't worry so much. Maybe I should just be happy for myself and for us. Maybe…


	2. Illusions

**_Always With You_**

I gazed out the window of our plane as we landed at the Tokyo air center. I hadn't wanted to return so early but Mamoru's business called and the clinic seemed to be over run with patients. When I arrived at the clinic the waiting room was loaded with anxious mothers and sick children. Apparently there had been a pretty bad stomach virus going around and quite a few children had caught it.

I was even forced to leave the clinic open a full two hours longer than I normally would have, which was highly surprising. When I was finally able to lock up I dug around my purse for my cell phone. I had to call and tell Mamoru that I was going to be late getting home.

As I pulled out of the parking lot my hand subconsciously reached for the radio dial. It was nearly impossible to drive around alone and listen to nothing but silence. I was quick to notice that my usual station wasn't the one playing. The music wasn't bad but it was much older than what I usually listened to. I pushed the button again to get the station that I had programmed in but the song didn't change. I shrugged and continued driving. Maybe Mamoru had reprogrammed my stations. It wasn't a big deal though I thought; the music wasn't bad, just not what I was used to.

I drove on humming and tapping on my steering wheel, rather enjoying the older music when the song abruptly changed. I frowned, figuring they were having a problem at the radio station. The song that had begun was familiar; it was a song that had seen its prime when we were all in high school. A single tear slid down my face, as it's haunting melody refreshed my memory. It had been Usagi's favorite song. Gods. It wasn't fair. I didn't want to be thinking about Usagi. But it was too late. My thoughts had already fallen upon the bubbly blonde. She had been so happy then, but not anymore. None of us would see her cheerful face again. Usagi was dead…

The sound of crunching metal brought me back from my memories. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Darkness? It shouldn't be dark. I had left the clinic at five and it shouldn't have been dark. I turned my head as my eyes began to adjust and felt a burst of pain shoot down my back. That wasn't a good sign. I opened my eyes again and could see the seat of my car above me. _Great. Yeah, I really needed a car accident. Stop being sarcastic Ami and get yourself out of the car._

From what I could tell I had obviously flipped my car over and the seatbelt had snapped. I drug myself out of the window, which was conveniently smashed. Dry leaves crunched beneath my flats as I slowly stood to assess the damage to my car and myself. I was definitely in better shape than my car, with only a few cuts and scrapes. My car on the other hand was hardly recognizable considering it had a tree planted in the grill. Wait, a tree? I raised my eyes upward to see a canopy of trees above my head. I was just driving through the middle of Tokyo, not a forest. Something was definitely wrong. My mind said there had to be a logical explanation but I wasn't so sure. This wasn't an ordinary accident.

As I was standing there bewildered the snap of a twig got my attention. My head flew around, intent on finding the source of the noise, panic encroaching at the edges of my mind.

_"Ami…"_

I turned again. "Who's there?"

_"Your fault…"_

No one was there, no one at all. I was alone.

_"All your fault…"_

I turned again, and again, and again. No one. I ran my fingers through my hair, no bumps or cuts. A concussion was out of the running for explanations. I dropped my hands to my sides in frustration and a sudden burning pain shot up my arms. I looked down at them to see numerous lacerations. But…I hadn't been cut earlier had I? I surely would have noticed…wouldn't I have?

_"All your fault…"_

And I did the only thing that seemed reasonable at the time. I ran. I closed my eyes and ran.

_"Purpose…"_

And all I did was keep running, running until I felt as if my lungs were going to burst. And then the voice stopped. I opened my eyes to find that the scenery had changed yet again. I was no longer in the forest. Now I seemed to be in a…wasteland of sorts. The ground was a sickly shade of gray. There were no plants, no trees, not even a blade of grass. I took a deep breath and decided to continue walking forward. It seemed that I was hopelessly lost anyway so what could it have hurt.

First I'm driving home, listening to the radio, and then I'm in a forest with mysterious lacerations. I subconsciously raised my arms to look at the awful wounds I was sure to see, but they were gone, as if they had never been there at all. But…gods, I can't be losing my mind…

What if it was a trick? What if there was a new enemy and I had been targeted? That would explain the fact that I seemed to no longer be in Tokyo, and it might explain everything else. It's either that or I'm locked up in the Looney bin and just haven't realized it yet. No…don't think that way.

As I continued walking, mulling over the possibility of a new enemy, I approached what seemed to be a large gorge. I peered down into its shadowy depths and could see nothing but darkness.

_"Jump…"_

I backed up slowly.

_"Jump…Ami…"_

Ami? That _thing _knew my name. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm myself. When I opened them again I found myself standing on a grassy hill, overlooking a park near Shinjuku. Below me, smashed into a tree was a familiar looking car. It wasn't mine though…

_"Ami…"_

Suddenly the car was awash with paramedics and onlookers. The scene was utterly frantic. I ran down the hill, stumbling as I lost one of my shoes. That wasn't important though. What was important was that I was a doctor and I could help. I ran up to the side of the car and noticed a flash of gold. I quickly turned to one of the paramedics to tell him I could help, to ask what situation we were facing with the victim, but he didn't even notice me. He didn't notice me and he walked right through me. __

_"Did it on purpose…"_

It was that voice again. Why did it keep following me? And why was it the only thing that I could hear? Why couldn't I hear the sirens? Why did no one see me? And why did he pass through me? That was when the pain became much worse. My arms flared with pain. The lacerations returned, only they were worse this time. Blood was literally flowing from my fingertips as it oozed from the wounds.

My head was over run with questions as I desperately struggled to make sense of the information. Nothing was right. Nothing was making any sense at all. I should be home now, with Mamoru.

_"You let me die…"_

Wait, why did it take me so long to notice? I recognized that voice…

"Usagi." I managed to squeak out.

_"Yes…" _The voice whispered.

That was when the pieces started to fall together. I remembered everything. That was when I had worked in the E.R. before I had opened my own children's clinic. Usagi had gotten into a car accident on her way home from college. She had lost a lot of blood when they brought her to me… Slowly hot tears began to crawl down my cheeks. I hated these memories. Why couldn't I just forget them? Why did I have to remember?

_"You let me die Ami…"_

No! No, I hadn't let Usagi die. I tried. I tried so hard to save her. I had tried so hard. But it wasn't enough. No, it was never enough. And then she was gone… And…and I had to tell Mamoru….

My knees trembled and I sank to the ground sobbing. My fists pounded the ground, making my flesh hot and red. "I didn't mean for you to die! I didn't want you to die; I didn't want it to happen."

_"You wanted it…"_

"No! That isn't true! I hadn't wanted it. That isn't true…"

I stood slowly, wiping the tears from my eyes with bloodstained hands. Usagi stood there before me, beautiful Usagi, our best friend, our leader, our princess… She walked toward me slowly. Her arms reached for me as if to embrace me, as if to hug me, but that wasn't it. I felt the cold first. The horrible bitter icy cold and then the burning pain. The burning pain that one only felt when they couldn't breath. She was trying to strangle me…

_Please no. Please no, Usagi. I tried. I really tried. I didn't want you to die. I didn't want for it to happen. I didn't want to see you in so much pain. I didn't want…_

"I didn't want…"

I began to rock slightly, my body jerking in one quick motion. My eyes flew open, quickly moving from left to right, expecting to see the face of my dead friend. But it was Mamoru who stood over me, not Usagi.

"What? What's going on? Where am I?"

I looked up into his eyes and I could see the love there, but I could also see the worry.

"You were having a nightmare Ami." He leaned down and kissed my forehead and I couldn't help the smile that had stretched over my lips. It was nothing more than a horrible nightmare. I hadn't wrecked my car. I hadn't seen Usagi. I hadn't seen anything like that. But something wasn't right. My eyes moved to the left and could see the familiar shape of a heart monitor next to the bed.

"Why am I in the hospital?"

I watched Mamoru's reaction, as his eyes went from happiness to worry.

"You were in a car accident last night Ami."

I felt the warmth of his body as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I was so afraid that I was going to lose you…"

I shook my head, not quite believing. It couldn't have been real right? It was all just a nightmare wasn't it? I sat up slowly, holding Mamoru close. But something caused me to raise my head. I felt as if I were being watched. I peered through the window that looked out into the hall and there she stood…watching me…

**Author's Note**: Please review if you liked it or if you have ideas/suggestions. I always keep an open mind and it doesn't take much to get me writing. Just let me know you're out there. ;)


	3. Appearances

**_Always With You_**

It had been a week since I was released from the hospital, since I had experienced those horrid nightmares. At least that's how Mamoru explained my experience. Nightmares. Oh how I wish I could attribute everything I had seen that night to nightmares. Of course it was easy for Mamoru to say that. I hadn't told him everything that had occurred that night. He didn't know about her…

But I knew. I knew it was Usagi that I had heard that night. I knew it was her that had tried to…had tried to…had tried to what? Why had I seen her that night? Why had I heard those things? Why was she saying those things? What was she trying to achieve?

I absentmindedly trailed my fingers along the wall as I began pacing the room yet again. _She was trying to kill you Ami. _No. That couldn't be right. Usagi would never have wanted to hurt me. We were friends, always were and always would have been. Maybe I was just being paranoid. Maybe it was all a figment of my imagination from spending a few extra hours at work. Maybe it was the stress. Ah but who am I kidding huh? Things are never so easy to explain.

I flopped down into my chair with a sigh and let my gaze wander. I was sitting in my office, surrounded by mounds of books and paperwork. Usually I would come here to distract myself with work or anything else that might need to be done but today it just wasn't working. I let my eyes skim some of the titles, Advanced Chemistry, Common Viral Replication, and Children's Psychology Volume III…. I somehow doubted any of those would keep me occupied for long; I'd already read all of them of course. Another sigh escaped my lips as I sank down into the soft leather of the chair. My head nodded slightly as I began to doze off. It didn't last long though as a dull thump caught my attention, snapping me to consciousness.

"Mamoru?" I called out tentatively.

There was no reply but the thump repeated itself. If anything it proved that I wasn't hearing things. I crept out into the hall, trying my best not to make any noise. I was on edge. I could feel my heart rate increasing and my breaths coming shorter and faster. Maybe it was only a burglar and I had nothing to worry about. Or maybe it was Mamoru and he had come home early and hadn't heard me call.

I crept slowly into the living room, my eyes darting from wall to wall, trying to find the source of the noise. First to the left it sounded, and then to the right but it always seemed as if I were never fast enough to catch the perpetrator. But then it was behind me. I waited a moment, deciding if I should even turn around at all. Then the sound repeated itself, almost as if it were daring me to catch it. I whirled around suddenly hoping to catch whatever it was off guard. Who knows, maybe an animal had gotten into the house. But there was nothing there, nothing but the emptiness of the hallway leading to the back of the house.

I slowly swallowed the lump in my throat. The front door hadn't been opened from what I could see so the possibility of Mamoru being home was slim to none. I straightened myself and began taking slow deep breaths to calm my nerves. It was probably nothing to get worked up over in the first place. But then the noise repeated, only it was upstairs this time.

I walked into my office and unlocked the bottom right drawer, as the sounds continued upstairs. From what I could tell whatever it was, was moving around our bedroom. I pulled the drawer open and reached inside for my Mercury computer. It had been a couple years since I last used it but I was confident in my abilities to operate it. I flipped it open and began running a scan of the house. I could see myself, a source of heat, standing in the office but other than that there was nothing on the first floor. I tapped they key to begin scanning the second floor and watched as room by room it showed nothing, that is until it scanned the master bedroom. There were no heat signatures but there was one signature that was much colder than the rest of the room and it seemed to be moving quite erratically.

I gripped the computer in my hand and slowly began to climb the stairs. I could hear thumps and other various noises as I approached the door. I laid my hand on the doorknob and paused for a moment, considering if I really wanted to go in or not. But who was I kidding? Like I was going to stand out here and ignore the problem. Slowly I turned the knob and threw the door open just in time to see my dresser sail across the room.

My eyes widened in surprise as other various belongings went flying around the room. I walked in quickly, dodging whatever happened to come my way. I gazed down at the screen of my mini computer long enough to ascertain that whatever was causing the disturbance was definitely still in the room. "Stop this instant!"

My voice wasn't as threatening as I had intended it to be, but it was loud and strong enough to get the point across. The furniture and knick-knacks that had earlier been zooming around the room paused, hanging in mid air.

Suddenly the bed turned up onto its side and flew toward me. _"You did it on purpose!"_

Oh hell…

I barely managed to dive out of the way as the poles of my bed smashed through the dry wall. But the bed didn't hold my attention long as other pieces of furniture began the suicidal mission of trying to smash me into a bloody pulp. I dodged most of them nimbly, managing to only sustain a few scraps and bruises before most of the furniture was broken up and destroyed. At least I retained quite a bit of my training as a senshi. I leaned against the wall trying to catch my breath as I looked over the shambles that had used to be my bedroom. The floor was covered with splintered wood, pillows, clothes, and just about everything else that had been in there.

I looked down at my computer screen to see that the cold signature was next to me. I jumped up quickly, not wanting to be beside whatever the thing was. But the back of my mind told me that I knew perfectly well what it was. It was Usagi.

"Why did you do this Usagi?"

_"Because you betrayed me Ami."_

"But I didn't betray you. I would never betray you. You were our princess and you meant the world to us."

_"You lie."_

"I…"

Before I could finish what I had planned to say something hard smashed into the side of my face and I hadn't even seen it coming. I turned quickly in case anything else came flying my way but nothing came.

"Usagi." I waited a moment but there was nothing. "Usagi…"

I opened my computer again and noticed that the cold signature that was once my friend was no longer there. I gazed down, noticing what it was that had hit me. I reached for the object with one trembling hand as I realized just what it was Usagi had meant.

It was our wedding picture…

"Oh Usagi…"

I could feel my knees grow weak as I sank to the floor, gripping the picture in my hands. And I sat there that way, just staring at the picture, my mind nearly numb from the shock. The sound of the door opening and closing snapped me from my thoughts. Mamoru's home. I jumped up, happy that I wasn't alone anymore. I looked around the room again and groaned. What was I going to tell him?

**Author's Note:** So I was thinking about bringing in other characters but I'm not quite sure about it yet. Do any of you have any suggestions? Feel free to write them ;)

Also if you read this story before the date that I updated, which is July 18th 2004 then you should read the first two chapters again because I re wrote them. They're much better in my opinion.

And I'm also going to start answering my reviews. Woooo. Heh heh took me long enough eh?

**Neonlights: **You're the only person that reviewed my second chapter. Thank you for your kind words. You inspired me to re write the first and second chapters to make them better, and I also wrote the third chapter. I hope you keep reading.


	4. Fire and Ice

_Always With You _

_Chapter 4: Fire and Ice_

_Oh you would never believe who I talked to today dear... _

I shook my head and brushed my hair back from my eyes as small shards of glass fell onto my shoulders. The bedroom looked like a hurricane had come through for redecorating. Bits of wood, feathers, shredded cloth, everything lay strewn about the room.

I listened as Mamoru walked through the living room downstairs but I made no move to leave the bedroom.

"Ami, I'm home."

"I'm upstairs," I yelled in return. After everything that happened I just couldn't muster the energy to do anything but stand there expressionless. I stood unmoving as the door opened and Mamoru's voice reached me.

"Ami honey why is there a hole in the…….door…"

I turned to see my husband standing in the doorway, his eyes widened and his mouth slightly open.

"Ami…what?"

I couldn't suppress the almost cynical chuckle that escaped my lips. "You might not believe it but this was definitely not a nightmare."

I turned toward him and our eyes locked, his desperately searching mine for some sort of logical answer, one that I wasn't honestly sure I could provide.

"I saw….I… Whatever caused my car accident was here in the house today. And _it_ was what caused this."

I continued to rattle of the entire story, excluding the portions that involved Usagi. I couldn't help feeling as if I were deceiving Mamoru by leaving out those crucial details but I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to reopen his old wounds. But, maybe that wasn't all of my reasoning. Maybe I was the one who didn't want to be hurt. Maybe I was afraid. Deep down inside, maybe I was afraid that I wouldn't like his reaction. Maybe I was afraid that he would blame me, as I've blamed myself all these years.

I watched him for a moment as he processed the tale. "So what do you think it is?"

I shook my head. "It could be anything, youma, spirits, aliens. I haven't managed to figure everything out yet, but whatever this thing is it's certainly not a figment of my imagination."

He nodded as his eyes scanned the room for a second time. "It definitely isn't."

I stood there a moment, contemplating what to say or do next when he beat me to the punch.

"I think you should pay Rei a visit."

That wasn't exactly what I was expecting. My gaze fell to the floor as my mind jumped to attention, grasping at thin air as it struggled to find any reason to not visit the priestess.

"Now…I know you two haven't seen eye to eye lately." He reached forward, cupping my chin in his palm, forcing me to look him in the eye. "But I know she doesn't hate you and you don't hate her. Go see her and find out what her opinion is on this."

He ran his thumb slowly across my cheek as I stared into his soft blue eyes. How could he even expect me to say no to those eyes? I nodded dumbly as he enveloped me in his arms and pulled me close. I returned his embrace, burying my face into his chest and breathing deeply of his scent. "I'll head over in a few minutes," I mumbled.

And we stood there like that, him stroking my hair and me listening to his heartbeat, just long enough for me to summon the courage to grab my keys and minicomputer and leave. And as I pulled out of the drive Mamoru stood in our bedroom surveying the damage a third time and wondering just what he was going to do to fix it.

I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel as I drove, the tempo rising with my level of anxiety. It had been about five months since I had last seen Rei, since Mamoru and I had announced our engagement and upcoming marriage. I remember that day well…

"_Everyone, there's something we'd like to say to you."_

_Minako turned immediately toward the two of us, a joyful sparkle in her eyes and a jackal's grin gracing her lips. Makoto smiled and waited patiently for what it was we needed to announce and Rei…well Rei…_

"_Mamoru and I are getting married." I squeezed his hand and waited for my friends' reactions as the butterflies in my stomach threatened mutiny against my body. The first sound I heard was a squeal as Minako nearly knocked me to the ground._

"_I can't believe it. I'm so happy for you two. When did you propose? When are you getting married? You have set a date right? Do I get to be a bridesmaid? I am invited right? Are you having a western wedding or a traditional wedding?"_

_We laughed as I practically peeled Minako off. "We haven't decided everything yet but don't worry you'll be informed every step of the way." _

_She smiled and sat back down with a wink. "Good because otherwise I would have to call you everyday for updates and that would just be such a hassle for me." _

_Makoto laughed and playfully punched Minako in the shoulder. "That's great you two. If you need any help with the catering or a cake or anything food related feel free to give me a call. I've never done a wedding but it would be wonderful to make yours my first."_

_I smiled and nodded. "We were planning on putting you completely in charge of all of our food requirements." I grinned as her face lit up. It made me happy to see them so enthusiastic. _

"_Are you pregnant? Is that why you're doing this?" Her dark violet eyes seemed to bore into mine with that statement. _

"_Rei!" Makoto frowned and gave her friend a reproachful look. _

"_N..no…I'm not pregnant..." I managed to stammer as my cheeks flushed scarlet. _

"_Then why? Why are you doing this?"_

"_Rei, it's been nearly four years," Mamoru interjected. _

"_I know damn well how long it's been," She snapped back, rising from her seat. "But that doesn't change a thing. It doesn't change a damn thing."_

_I opened my mouth to speak, to try to remedy the situation and maybe somehow calm her nerves but they didn't come nearly in time._

"_I thought you two would have more respect. How could you? Were you just waiting for something like that to happen?"_

_My mouth hung open in shock, no words forming at all. I sat there dumbfounded for a moment before I felt the tears beginning to well. _

"_That's enough Rei!" Mamoru slammed his hand to the table. "I know it's been difficult for everyone but we've managed to move on. You can't hold that against us."_

"_What about Chibi-Usa? What about Crystal Tokyo?" She glared for a moment before storming out the café doors with every eye in the establishment following. _

_I stared blankly and bit my lip to keep it from trembling as Minako jumped to give chase. Makoto reached out and grabbed her arm. "Let her go…" _

_The room was filled with an awkward silence. The tension was thick and stifling, threatening to choke me before my tears ever could. _

_Minako laid her hand on mine and looked at me with a consoling yet sad expression on her face. "I'm sure she didn't mean it Ami."_

She didn't come to the wedding.

Everyone brushed it off, saying that she was just surprised and didn't mean anything she had said that day, but I wasn't so sure. And this will be the first time I've seen her since. I bit my lip. I was becoming more and more nervous the closer I came to the temple. Deep down I was afraid Rei really did mean every word she had said that day in the café.

I sighed as I pulled into a parking spot a few blocks away. I would have to walk the rest. I closed my eyes as my feet took me down a very familiar path. It brought back many memories of sleeping late over at Rei's from a Senshi meeting and booking it to class the next morning. Usagi would always be the one behind, hopping on one foot as she struggled to strap her shoe while choking down a piece of toast. But those were only memories now. Memories back in the days when things were as they were supposedly destined to be.

I continued walking, almost in a daze until I realized I had topped the steps to the Hikawa Shrine without noticing. I stood there for a moment taking in the sight, the cleanly swept path, the prayer tree, the building where Rei and her grandfather lived. It was so familiar yet almost so alien. I nervously twisted the hem of my blouse while my mind screamed at me to forget it and leave, to leave before it was too late. But that wasn't to happen.

"Hello Ami…"

Author's Comments: Wee cliffhanger dodges tomatoes And it is review replying time. .

Anon: Thank you. I do plan on continuing it.

Mayonaka-Hitori: I'm glad you like it. Here's your update. And you will know what happens in time.

Mizzy: Why thank you. And I am proud to a certain extent, though I am sure this could be much better.

Sonar de Mecury: Soon..me? He heh I know I'm not the fastest updater but..at least I'm not dead right? Right?

MercuryDestiny: Yeah it is supposed to be kind of scary, though not B horror movie scary, more of a psychological thriller. Apparently it's working pretty well though.

rabbitTsukino: Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it. And yes I do love my twists.

Neonlights: Weeee I'm glad you like it. And I have taken your suggestions into account. We shall see where the story goes from here eh? And I'm on your favorite stories list woo hoo. . Makes me happy.

Le Ami: Why thank you. I am glad you think so.

DarkParis: I'm glad the creepiness factor is working. And here are some of the other scouts. They will be appearing throughout the story. Just now had the opportunity to introduce them. Hmm and is Usagi trying to do that? I don't know. Shall have to wait and see won't you?


	5. World Coming Down

_**Always With You**_

_**Chapter 5: World Coming Down**_

"Hello Ami…"

My body tensed at her voice. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before forcing myself to face her. Those violet eyes were cold and hard, calculating, as if she were studying me.

"Why are you here?"

Gods if looks could kill… I could tell she was still angry about our encounter earlier but I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped closer, returning her gaze with every bit of determination I could muster. "I need to ask you to do a fire reading for me." She stood there facing me down for a few moments before her lips twisted into a smirk.

"I'm impressed Ami. Either you've become bolder since I saw you last or you're completely desperate." She chuckled and turned, walking across the stone pathway. "Come on. I don't have all day."

I sighed and shook my head as I followed. Maybe she's right…maybe I am desperate. I walked through the doorway, sliding it closed as I entered the fire room. Rei had already seated herself before the fire and was preparing herself for the reading.

"I want you to sit on the other side of the fire exactly as I am sitting now. Don't move and don't speak until I tell you."

I nodded and knelt down on the hardwood floor next to the fire. I gasped as the cool wood caused goose bumps to form on my legs and the hair to rise on the back of my neck. I rested my palms down on my lap and lowered my head, eyes closed. I was glad that Rei had decided to assist me but deep down a part of me was afraid of what this reading would discover.

What would Rei say when she found out that Usagi had returned from the grave to cause me personal harm because of my decisions in life? All of her accusations would be valid. I would become the traitor she had made me out to be. I would be the deceitful one who betrayed her friends and their futures.

But what if it was a new enemy that was only playing upon my own deep personal fears? The senshi would need to be reorganized, ruining their plans and putting their lives on hold to save the world yet again. And it would be my fault because somehow I let my identity slip to an unknown enemy who is just now deciding to show themselves.

Either way I'm screwed.

I tried not to think as Rei began the reading, her mumbled prayers becoming louder and faster almost in time with my racing heartbeat. I balled my hands into fists, the nails biting into the soft skin as if it were nothing. Time seemed to crawl on as the chanting became more regular. I could feel sweat beginning to drip down the side of my face, more from my nervousness than the heat of the flame. What would she discover? If it were an enemy I would have to contact the others, arrange a meeting, start working on an active battle plan. We'd have to fight. I told myself that the others wouldn't hold it against me. It definitely wouldn't be the first time that we'd be fighting again after a long stretch of peace. And it wouldn't really be my fault would it? No, not the enemy themselves, just the fact that they somehow know who I am.

Yes it definitely wouldn't be the first time we've fought. It would be the first time without Usagi though. I bit the inside of my cheek to push away the surge of emotion that bubbled up when I thought of her. I hadn't looked at it that way before. We really wouldn't have her this time. We'd be fighting with no princess to protect. We were probably pretty rusty by now. Would we be strong enough to fight without her? I know we would have to be much more careful, especially now that we were without Usagi and her ginzoushou. If we died...

I shook my head. I wasn't going to think about that. We'd be fine. And what if it isn't actually a new enemy, a small voice at the back of my mind said. Then...I didn't know what I would do.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't realize Rei had finished and was speaking to me.

"Ami?"

I blinked my eyes and lifted my head to look at her. She looked visibly shaken, her chest quavering at her hurried breathing.

"I'm sorry. What did you say Rei?"

"I said," she paused, standing shakily to her feet. "It's rare that I have a vision with such clarity."

I swallowed nervously and stood as she walked over. "What did you see?"

She turned to look at me, the earlier emotions of anger gone from those amethyst eyes. Now all I could see was worry. "Ami, I think we should call a senshi meeting."

I nodded as she left the room to call the others. It couldn't be good that Rei wanted to call an emergency senshi meeting, our first in years, before she would tell me what she saw. I fished my cellphone out of my pocket and dialed our home number. Mamoru said he'd be there as fast as he could and I could tell that he was worried. I was worried too.

I had no idea just how much Rei had seen in her vision. She might know about Usagi. And what if she told everything in front of the others? Mamoru would know that I hadn't told him the whole truth and he would know about her. Things could go downhill quickly from there. And what would the others think? Would their views change if they knew that Usagi was haunting me? Wait a minute, I thought. Since when had I decided definitively that it was Usagi causing these problems and not another enemy? I had to wait to be sure. There was no conclusive evidence yet. At least that's what I told myself.

It didn't take long for the others to arrive. We sat in a circle ignoring the tea that was placed before us and nervously eying each other instead. My right hand picked at the hem of my blouse while Mamoru stroked the back of my left hand with his thumb. I know he was trying to keep me from worrying but the effort was futile. Rei finally sat down as she finished putting away the serving tray.

"I called you all here because of a vision I had today while praying over the sacred fire. Now you know that I would never call an emergency meeting unless I felt there was a justified reason for interrupting everyone's lives." She paused, taking a moment to look each of us in the eye before continuing. Obviously she was serious about whatever it is that she had seen. "Ami came to me today to request a fire reading and what I saw could very well have dire consequences for each of us."

My back stiffened at the mention of my name. Everyone was watching Rei intently, even Luna and Artemis couldn't hide the concern from their expressions. Minako leaned forward and caught Rei's attention. "Tell us everything you saw. If this is as serious as you say it is we'll need all the information we can get." I smiled Minako had really blossomed as a leader after the accident. She took it hard of course but it pushed her to reach her full potential. It pushed all of us really.

Rei nodded at her statement and began to tell the story of what she had seen in those few minutes in the fire room.

"I was watching the moon as it turned blood red and began to melt from the sky. It fell upon us like rain, staining everything in red. Agonizing screams floated in on the wind, seeming to come from every direction at once. Then a dark shadow slid in across the ground dragging each of us in. It was in plain sight but none of us seemed to realize the danger and we were each taken, until there were none of us." We watched as Rei suppressed a shudder. "All that was left was the blood."

No one spoke afterward until Luna crept up to the table. "Who was taken first?"


	6. The Flow of Time

_**Always With You**_

_**Chapter 6: The Flow of Time**_

We all watched as Rei took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "The shadow surrounded the five of us first. I screamed for everyone to run, to get away from the darkness but no one heard me." Rei paused for a moment, the knuckles on her hands whitening as she clenched the edge of the table. "Jupiter was the first to be taken."

Everyone stiffened and turned their gaze toward Makoto as if the death sentence had just been extended to her. She tried hard to hide it but I could see the worry creep up in her eyes. Her lips curved into a smirk as she slammed a fist into her hand. "Well now that I know, this enemy has another thing coming if it thinks it's going to take me down that easily."

Minako nodded enthusiastically. "Mako-chan's right. Now that we have an advanced warning of the danger we can be prepared for whatever's heading our way. I'm going to suggest that we start patrol groups up again, return to our weekly senshi meeting and try to get in some extra training when we can."

Everyone nodded as Luna sat up. "I agree. If this new threat is as dangerous as it seems then we would be wise not to let our guards down. Now Rei I would like you to go and visit Neptune and the others and inform them of the situation. As for everyone else I want you to work out amongst yourselves the best times to patrol and who you shall be partnered with. I don't want anyone patrolling alone if we can avoid it. Is that clear?"

We all agreed and lingered for a few extra minutes before getting a rough schedule worked out with myself and Makoto being the first group patrolling that evening. It was convenient that we both had the same days off, that day being one of them. So as Rei left to visit the outer senshi the rest of us wandered outside to get busy with the rest of our evenings. Minako was heading home to finish going over her script for the first live action Sailor V movie but told us that she would keep her communicator handy and to call if anything suspicious arose.

I turned to Mamoru and kissed him softly on the lips. "Makoto and I are going to get a head start on our patrol to see if we can pick up any strange energy readings that the enemy might be generating."

He gave me a squeeze and looked up at Makoto. "I want you two to be careful. We still don't really know what we're dealing with here. If you see anything at all I want you to contact me." I nodded.

"We'll keep our eyes open and call if we notice anything strange."

He smiled and planted a gentle kiss at the top of my forehead. "Be safe my ice princess." With that said he turned and headed down the shrine's steps toward his waiting car.

I turned toward Makoto and we shared a knowing smile as words that hadn't been said in the longest time floated out upon the air.

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make Up!"

In a matter of moments we were leaping from rooftop to rooftop in the downtown area. In the past youma tended to congregate in the more populated areas of the city, which were much more convenient for harvesting energy. But so far my visor and computer had yet to detect anything that seemed out of the ordinary. I glanced over at Makoto and watched her for a moment. I could tell she was slightly nervous, her fingers rubbing the hem of her skirt while I paused to run a different diagnostic. I closed my computer with a sigh and deposited it back into it's sub-space storage pocket.

"Did you find anything?"

I shook my head. "Everything seems normal. There are no abnormal excesses of energy or any spots of dark energy."

Makoto stared out over the city. "Maybe this new enemy just hasn't established itself yet."

"That's a possibility." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "But don't worry. As soon as they do show themselves we'll be ready and waiting."

She smiled and nodded. "Ready to beat them back into the hole they crawled out of."

"But we must always be wary," a voice called out behind us.

We turned to see Setsuna walking closer. "Did you find anything Sailor Mercury?"

I shook my head. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

She nodded.

"Have you noticed anything strange in the time line Setsuna?" Makoto asked. Setsuna turned and regarded Makoto for a moment before turning briefly toward me.

"There is nothing that obviously seems to be affecting the current time line in a negative way as of yet. Although you know that I am forbidden to speak of the time line in a detailed manner."

"We understand Setsuna," Makoto said. "I don't think I could be as strong as you in your situation. I would want to meddle in the time line too much." She turned toward me. "So see you later Ami-chan?"

I smiled. "Of course."

"Well, I'm going to be heading home then. I've got to head into the restaurant early tomorrow. See you around Ami-chan, Setsuna-san."

I waved as she bounded off toward her apartment.

"And how are you doing Ami? Has anything been bothering you lately?"

My hand froze in mid wave as I turned to find those garnet orbs watching me carefully. Did she know? I swallowed slowly, trying to come up with something to say. Should I tell her that what seemed to be the ghost of Usagi was trying to harm me? Or should I tell her the theory of an enemy...but..we had yet to find definite signs of an enemy infestation, which made the possibility of it truly being Usagi that much higher. My hand clenched as she continued to stare. Surely she was aware of something. Why else would she ask? She was the guardian of the gates of time. If anyone knew what was going on it would be her. So why was she asking then? Was she just testing my reaction to the question or were there things that even the powerful senshi of Pluto did not know?

My eyes fell to the rooftop as I pushed a pebble away with the toe of my boot. "Setsuna-san, have you ever wondered about your place in the future and whether it was right or not?"

She seemed satisfied with this response as her gaze shifted out toward the rapidly setting sun. "The future has indeed changed much over the years from what we thought it to be initially but time branches out infinitely and it can never truly be predicted to one particular result. Every event, every choice influences the time line in subtle ways such that even I cannot track each and every branch to where they may lead us in the future." She paused for a moment. "Time can only truly be studied and understood through the past."

I nodded. "Thank you for such an honest answer Setsuna-san."

She stepped closer and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do not worry too much about the future Ami. There is little we can do to predict and manipulate it. What we must do instead is our best to protect it."

A small smile crept onto my lips. She may have sounded extremely cryptic but her words helped comfort that nagging voice at the back of my mind. "Thank you again Setsuna-san." I turned and gave her a genuine smile. "Tell the others I wish them well and that I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon. I think I'll be heading home now as well."

Setsuna nodded and with a turn of her wrist had opened a small portal to return herself home. I stood there for a moment gazing out upon the horizon as the sun sank behind the buildings. She says not to worry about the future and my place in it and yet I can't help but wonder how different things will be as compared to what they could have been...

A/N: Yes I'm aware it's short and that it took me forever to update. I'm very sorry. Sometimes I'm inspired to write and sometimes I'm not, that and my life in general has been rather crazy right now, what with buying a house and slowly moving. But as it's working so far the original plan I had for this story is starting to hit shaky ground and I'm not sure if it will continue as originally planned or not. So while I try to figure out where to go from here feel free to offer suggestions if you so desire. I can't guarantee I'll use them but inspiration and ideas are always welcome here.


	7. Speculations

_**lways With You**_

_**Chapter 7: Speculations**_

I stood on the rooftop for a few more minutes. My thoughts wandered to Crystal Tokyo. Would the Earth sill freeze over like we had been told? If it did would we be able to survive and rebuild without the power of Usagi and the ginzoushou? We were never informed of what exactly caused the freeze. And if we survived to bring the Earth into a new era of peace I suppose that would make me queen. It was a strange thought. I had always lived knowing that I would be an advisor and protector of the Queen...of Usagi. This turn of events had never been foretold. We had never imagined what our lives would have been like without her there to guide us.

On one hand the thought was liberating yet at the same time stifling. As Queen I would be able to influence the entire world, help it prosper at Mamoru's side. I think I would be happy but I'm not certain. I've rarely been certain of things since then. So much power and responsibility would be difficult to deal with. I would have to live up to Usagi's memory. Would I be able to be good ruler, a good protector, a good mother? And what of the others, would they protect and aid me as they would have Usagi? Would I want them to? I shook my head trying to make these thoughts go away. I always felt horrible after thinking about the future like that. I'm assuming too much. I'm worrying about things I have no proof of. And worrying about things that haven't even happened yet doesn't do any good at all, at least that's what I keep telling myself.

I sprinted down the fire escape and into a dark alley, detransforming on my way out. I'd head home help Mamoru with dinner and take a nice hot shower. That would make me stop thinking at least for a little while. I walked toward the nearest bus stop and pulled out my cell phone. I dialed Minako and crossed my feet as I sat down on the bench. She picked up quickly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I was just calling to let you know how our patrol went tonight."

"Good you had me worried there for a moment. Did you manage to find anything?"

I shook my head. "We couldn't find anything. There was nothing for my computer to pick up, no strange energy signals or anything of the sort. It's possible that the enemy hasn't gotten a foothold in the area yet."

"Hmmm...That's good but worrying at the same time. We'll just have to keep our eyes open and see what happens from here. Let me know if you notice anything out of the ordinary."

I nodded. "Of course. I'll see you in a couple days at the next meeting. Call me or Mamoru if anything comes up. Mhmm. Bye"

I closed my phone and slipped it into my jacket pocket and turned just in time to see Rei sit down next to me. Rei and I used to ride the bus together quite often when we were in high school, back when things were different between us. I crossed my arms as she stared at me.

"You never got the chance to tell me why you needed that fire reading."

I swallowed nervously.

"I heard the end of your conversation with Minako. It seems like we don't have any information to work with, but if that was the case then why did you come to me in the first place?"

I licked my lips, trying to think of what I could say without giving away too much. "Something strange happened at the house today, some sort of disturbance. When I returned home from work I was very clearly alone in the house, Mamoru hadn't returned yet. I kept hearing noises upstairs that were more than just the house settling."

She nodded for me to continue.

"I ran a quick scan of the house on my mini computer only to find I suppose what you could call a cold spot emanating from the master bedroom. It sounded like everything was being destroyed. I burst through the door to find every piece of furniture in the room flying through the air." I waved my hands as Rei's eyes widened.

"As soon as whatever was causing it seemed to notice me the flight patterns became hostile and objects started hurtling themselves in my direction. That continued for a couple of minutes until Mamoru got home and everything stopped." I had left out a few details but nothing that would change the overall meaning of the story.

Rei frowned and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Do you feel like this entity was trying specifically to harm you since it stopped once Mamoru returned?"

My shoulders tensed and I turned forward, staring at the sidewalk. "I honestly don't have enough information to say for certain."

Rei nodded and placed a hand on my shoulder. I turned and looked at her questioningly. She squeezed lightly and said, "There was a part of the vision that I didn't share with the others."

My lips pursed in a thin line. Did she know? Was she calling me out since we were alone again?

"Ami, I know things haven't exactly been smooth between us these last few months..."

I nodded and watched as she lowered her head slightly. I could tell this was very hard for her to say.

"But I want you to know that I'm still here for you. I've been spending a lot of time thinking and well...I want to apologize. Can you forgive me?"

I smiled to hide the shocked expression that would have shown at this turn of the conversation. In the back of my mind I wondered what was so bad that she thought she needed to make up with me so suddenly. _Stop it! _I said, chastising myself. It doesn't have to mean anything that she apologized like this. Maybe she really just felt it was time that we were reconciled. Or maybe not...

I smiled again and pulled her hand down to hold in mine. "Apology accepted." She returned the gesture and we sat there for a moment just staring at each other's hands.

"What was it that you saw?"

"Everything I said in front of the others was the truth. But the vision continued on and it was," she wrapped her arms around herself, "disturbing."

It was my turn to be the consoling one as I laid a trembling hand on her shoulder.

"After each of us was taken by the shadow the rain stopped. The screams turned to moans as slowly, each of us clawed our way out of the ground as corpses. We shambled away toward a bright light where she...Usagi stood waiting for us."

My hand fell to my lap. This was exactly what I hoped she wouldn't say. I closed my eyes as she continued speaking. There were no stopping things now. She already knew and I couldn't take that away from her.

"The light grew brighter as we got nearer until finally each of us was restored to our living selves. She smiled at us, she just stood there, smiling."

I watched as a single tear slid down Rei's cheek. I was having a hard time keeping myself from choking up. I missed her so much sometimes. Rei lifted a hand and wiped the tear away, an embarrassed chuckle escaping her lips.

"Usagi lifted a hand, pointed and said 'One of you...' and that was where it faded."

I shook my head and clutched at my legs. "But that doesn't make any sense. We were attacked by some shadow being and apparently killed, only to be saved and revived by Usagi."

Rei nodded.

"But Usagi's gone...isn't she?"


End file.
